Determining Responsibility Climate Series: Government Liability for Hurricane Katrina

When
September 6, 2018 12:00 pm — 1:30 pm
Where
Webinar only

ELI Member Webinar

Join the Environmental Law Institute for the first seminar in the new series . This series will focus on legal issues surrounding climate mitigation and adaptation, and feature experts representing a variety of sectors, including academia, government, industry, and NGOs.

The first in our new Determining Responsibility Climate Series, was Government Liability for Hurricane Katrina, featuring an expert panel exploring the St. Bernard Parish Government v. United States case decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on April 20, 2018. In this case, Louisiana property owners argued “that the government was liable for flood damage to their properties caused by Hurricane Katrina and other hurricanes” under takings law. The Federal Circuit, however, disagreed, noting “that the government cannot be liable on a takings theory for inaction and that the government action…was not shown to have been the cause of the flooding.”

This panel dove into the ruling and its potential implications for future litigation in a world of changing climate, extreme weather, and uncertain liability.

Panelists:
Teresa Chan, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Michael Burger, Executive Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School
Vincent Colatriano, Partner, Cooper & Kirk PLLC
John Echeverria, Professor of Law, Vermont Law

Materials:
ELI members have access to a recording of this session. If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, go HERE to see the many benefits of membership and how to join.